Supplements and wellness grow as Christmas gifts

Santa might be bringing you some supplements this year.

Along with typical holiday wish list items like clothing, perfume, and gadgets, the wellness category is also poised to gain popularity this shopping season and beyond—especially as retailers like Ulta Beauty And Aim Give it more shelf space well before New Year’s resolutions begin.

Beauty is always the best-performing holiday category. According to Circana, a market research group, November and December combined account for about 25% of annual spending on prestige beauty products, which often includes brands sold by specialty beauty retailers and department stores. According to Circana’s annual survey, holiday shoppers said they plan to spend an average of $247 on beauty when buying gifts this year; This is the fourth most spent holiday category.

But the beauty category’s product mix has expanded further with the addition of more health- and wellness-focused items, such as products that promise to improve nutrition, hydration and sleep.

Larissa Jensen, Circana’s global beauty industry consultant, said wellness has gained traction since the Covid pandemic as consumers prioritize self-care and feeling good “from the inside out.”

Health-related products typically sold on drugstore shelves, such as teeth whitening kits, vitamins, full-body deodorants and eye drops, shine, he said. Some now come with more attractive packaging, have endorsements from influencers and celebrities, or have moved into the beauty section as retailers seize the chance to blend beauty and wellness and become a one-stop shop.

Ulta Beauty, in particular, has allocated more space for healthy living in its stores. The specialty retailer, which has more than 1,450 stores nationwide, always carries some individual products related to wellness and “beauty from within,” said Laura Beres, the retailer’s vice president of wellness.

But as demand increased in the wake of the pandemic, Ulta began opening wellness stores inside its stores in 2021, devoting approximately 4 to 8 feet of shelf space to products such as probiotic gummies, sleep masks and aromatherapy oils. In August, the company announced it would expand the size of these wellness stores to 45 feet in about a third of its stores. Beres said that by adding nearly 30 new healthy lifestyle brands to its stores, the total number reached 100.

He said there are discontinuities across the ages of wellness shoppers, but Ulta is seeing growth especially among millennial shoppers and consumers with household incomes of more than $100,000. He said innovation is generating more interest, especially as customers look for solutions for important life stages that brands have overlooked in the past, such as pre-pregnancy, post-pregnancy and menopause needs.

This year, she said, Ulta is carrying some wellness product gift sets, including an Advent calendar with essential oils from Saje Natural Wellness and a beauty sleep gift set from Kourtney Kardashian’s vitamin brand Lemme. But he said he expects wellness to become a bigger part of holidays in the future as the category grows.

“It’s the perfect combination of being able to give someone else the gift of relaxation during the holiday season in a really elevated way that frankly hasn’t been available in the market before,” he said.

One of the brands in Ulta’s wellness store is Neom Wellbeing, a UK-based company that sells home fragrances and body care products. Neom sells online through Amazon and its website, and many of its bestsellers focus on improving sleep.

Amanda Kahn, Neom’s U.S. general manager, said the company’s first sellers this holiday season are stocking stuffers that cost under $20. While shoppers seek value due to inflation, wellness products are also appealing because they are practical, he said.

“It feels very capable while also providing a benefit that anyone can use,” he said.

Bath and Body WorksThe company, known for its scented soaps, candles and lotions, has also introduced products focused on healthier living. Earlier this month, for example, it started selling a new wellness fragrance collection called “Water Winter Mint,” which features mint and mountain water scents and ingredients like hyaluronic acid and shea butter.

More shoppers are turning to mall staples for body care products or gifts that boost mood and solve health challenges like dry skin or trouble falling asleep, said Kristie Lewis, the company’s senior vice president of merchandising.

Bath & Body Works plans to continue expanding its aromatherapy line and ingredient-focused products, he said. The company, which has aromatherapy body products made of natural essential oils, has launched a holiday collection consisting of eucalyptus pine and vanilla coconut scents.

“We see consumers buying these products both for themselves and as holiday gifts, because who doesn’t want to de-stress or sleep, especially in November and December?” he said.

During a tour of Minneapolis-area stores in October, Chief Merchandising Officer Rick Gomez said nutrition and health is also a trending category at Target. He said wellness encompasses many of the categories Target sells; for example, Joylab, a specialty brand that offers workout clothes in bright colors and floral patterns, Khloe Kardashian’s Khloud protein popcorn, and beauty kits and skin masks.

He said that some of these items can also be given as gifts. Gomez said he bought the protein powder as a gift for his nephew.

He added that Wellness could gain more square footage at Target next year. Gomez said Target was one of the ideas it considered as its deal with Ulta Beauty expired in August and branded beauty stores inside hundreds of its stores were closed.

Grüns is one of the wellness products on Target’s shelves. Founder and CEO Chad Janis said superfood greens gummies are a healthier version of fruit snacks for adults, but with a nutritional content similar to greens powder. It takes its name from the German word “grün”, which means green.

retailers, including Walmart Sprout Farmers Market and Sam’s Club sells the gummies, which have expanded into other product lines for children and immune support since the company was founded in 2023.

As sales of vitamins and nutritional supplements trend upward in the new year, Janis said he hopes the company’s gummies will be a gift or stocking stuffer. It sells some holiday-inspired products, including a Grinch-inspired sour punch flavor and a holiday-themed Target pack.

Given that millennial and Gen Z customers seek out personal care and wellness products year-round, Walmart carries some wellness products for the holidays, too; such as gift body wash sets from vitamin maker Olly and vitamin patches that resemble stickers or temporary tattoos from Barrière.

Even outside of beauty aisles, retailers have pivoted to wellness as a gifting category. Best BuySelling Oura rings and offering demos for health-tracking wearable devices Kohl’sCarrying items such as massage guns and portable ice baths.

Circana’s Jensen said customers may be more interested in wellness this holiday season by purchasing items for themselves while shopping for gifts for friends and family.

“Here’s a little ornament for you, lip gloss, and teeth whitening products for me,” she said.

But in the coming years, Jensen said he expects wellness to rise to the forefront of holiday wish lists due to its higher price tags and wider acceptance. He compared it to anti-aging skin care products and gift sets.

He said that these products, which once seemed taboo, have now become a product that people demand.